Client Asking for Refund. Advice Needed!

You have been working hard for them for a long time. If anything they should be paying you more. You didn't guarantee anything and you also did not know what Google would do. Unless they are clueless, they should not be asking for any sort of refund. If they want a refund, you should undo the work you have done.

I posted this in the other thread, I wanted to get it in here as well...

I would say no to a refund. You've already done the work and delivered results. Unless you own google, you have no control over their website and how they display results.

My only other advice would be to always have a written contract and maybe take a look at your link building process to see how it could be improved to help offset any future Google updates.

They have no legal right to refund.

1. No contract was ever signed
2. You didn't promise them anything
3. You were paid each month for the Work you did that month
4. You have no control over the google updates

My advice: Find something on google in where google talks about their ongoing updates and how some rankings can be affected. Give them a copy of this.

Just kindly remind them that you did your job to the best of your ability and brought them from the depths of the Internet, to the top 20 results for 90% of their keywords. You did all of this at a substantial discount.

Show the, what you could have and rightfully would have charged them for the work you've done month 1-10. Literally, write it on paper and let them see it.

Then show them how many hours and dollars you've put in for the last 8 months WITHOUT GETTING PAID. Put the numbers down on paper and show them!

This is not your fault, and you shouldn't shoulder any of the blame. Do NOT give them a refund. That's not how it works. This is a part of the world of seo. Sometimes rankings fall. Sometimes they rise. Again, it's not your fault Trent. Realize and understand this.

This is something I did for a similar issue I had earlier this year. Best of luck to you friend. Please be sure to let us all know what happens!

It does not seem easy, first thing that sticks out is what is in writing ? there seems to be nothing and that is probably lesson one.

Next you say at some point the panda shiete the nest and things went south and they stopped paying you for services.

This really indicates a line in the sand and at that point even though you were not required to continue to help you did.

What happens here is people will use your good nature and turn tiger in a cage with a pimple on their bum and scream blue murder, they take advantage of you and now even though your kind at heart they want your blood.

That is normal and happens across most fields not just IM / SEO, from here it seems like the are billy goat gruffing you up and putting you on a guilt trip and they will keep this charade up.

From here you can ignore them on which they will then probably scream blue murder even louder, or you can re imburse them where they will grin like cheser cats as they have their prize meal or you can sit down with them and come to a suitable solution where every player wins a prize.

Explain your costs were spent in services to get the changes in rankings and those monies can not be recovered and that given there has been some positive movement this is seen as fair, but with that we need to find some middle ground and meet where you both feel comfortable.

Here it is important not to be bullied in that you control this mediation, if they come in heavy simply be polite and get up and walk away, these people need to learn that without respect and coming to the table in a nice way they will get nothing, do that and I promise they will learn fast.

Lastly in that even meeting them half way you still loose but that must be a lesson on moving forward where it goes in clear writing when you sign the deal up.

And yes I deal with disgruntled people and most times and probably 99.99% are solved if you follow some basic rules and slowly work through things.

Thanks for the advice everyone!